Hidden Shoal News
Antonymes Interview on 4ZZZ Radio
Ahead of the release of The Licence to Interpret Dreams on the 21st of April we invite you to stream the fantastic interview with Antonymes on the wonderful 4ZZZ radio show War Is Peace. Many thanks to Sky, who presents the War Is Peace show, for making the interview happen.
Hotels Interview at Billboard
Check out the sweet Q&A with Hotels at Billboard ahead of their performance in Las Vegas at Billboards Battle of the Bands final. After being chosen by Billboard as one of the the most promising “under the radar” bands in the U.S., Hotels went on to win the northwest region of the competition by public vote. They will compete at Billboards May 18 Battle of the Bands concert against the finalists from the other five regions. The ultimate winner will score an appearance at the Billboard Music Awards on May 22.
Why are Hotels so awesome? Things like this prove it beyond doubt.
Hotels – ‘On The Casino Floor’
Antonymes RTRFM Feature Album
Antonymes stunning new album The Licence To Interpret Dreams is RTRFM‘s across station Feature album this week! Listen in to bathe in its beauty and win one of 8 copies. The album sees its official release this Thursday.
New Umpire Single Out Now – Free Download
Hidden Shoal Recordings is proud to announce the release of new single ‘Green Light District’ by Perth’s widescreen indie-rock craftsmen Umpire. ‘Green Light District’ marries Umpire’s sprawling indie-rock sounds and reflective melancholy, providing the instant gratification of massive sun-drenched melodies and soaring vocals. The track is taken from Umpire’s forthcoming debut album Now We’re Active, the band’s first release to feature new drummer Josh Watkins, and produced at Umpire’s own studio by bass player Simon Struthers.
‘Green Light District’ follows up the band’s self-titled EP of 2009, which featured the standout track ‘Streamers’. ‘Streamers’ received rave reviews and achieved widespread high rotation airplay across Australian radio including national broadcaster Triple J. The track also took out the grand prize in the WAM Song of the Year in 2009.
“manages to completely avoid every current trend being flogged at the moment to approach a timelessness that rewards upon repeated listens” – The Vine on Umpire’s debut EP
“A song I can’t get out of my head. A wonderful place to be.” – Richard Kingsmill on ‘Streamers’
“Record of the year thus far no doubt.” – X-Press Magazine on Umpire’s debut EP
‘Green Light District’ is available now for free download from the Hidden Shoal Store. Umpire launch their single in Perth on 23 April at Amplifier Bar. Their debut full-length Now We’re Active receives its Australian CD release and digital release on 2 June, and international CD release on 14 July. The Australian album launch will take place in Perth at the Rosemount on 4th of June. Umpire will be touring Australia during July and August. Check the press release for more details.
Slow Dancing Society Re-Issues
We are very excited to announce the upcoming CD re-issues of the first three Slow Dancing Society albums. Since the first issues of each release sold out we have been inundated with requests to re-issue and not being ones to stand in the way of an angry mob we have submitted to their will! The stunning triumvirate of The Sound of Lights When Dim, The Slow and Steady Winter and Priest Lake Circa ’88 will see their cd re-issue on the 19th of May, distributed through n5mailorder.
You’ll want to get in quick when pre-orders become available on the April 29th as this limited re-issue will be sure to go quickly. And of course don’t forget to check out the latest Slow Dancing masterpiece Under The Sodium Lights available now digitally and on CD.
Slow Dancing Society -‘Be There’
Umpire Sign to Hidden Shoal, New Single Next Week!
Hidden Shoal Recordings is proud to announce the signing of Perth’s widescreen indie-rock craftsmen Umpire to its roster of artists. Umpire combine sprawling indie-rock sounds with reflective melancholy, expertly wielding massive sun-drenched melodies, serpentine guitar parts and soaring vocals to spectacular effect. Australian audiences will be familiar with their debut single ‘Streamers’, which achieved widespread critical acclaim, national airplay and won WAM Song of the Year in 2009.
The founding members of Umpire (Geoff Symons, Simon Struthers and Michael Lake) have a long history in the Perth music scene, playing in many seminal progressive indie-rock bands, including Adam Said Galore, O and Hidden Shoal’s very own Mukaizake, so it was a natural progression for the band to develop their live show by adding drummer, Josh Watkins. Performing the songs live has allowed the band to tour Australia and play with many of their musical heroes, including Stephen Malkmus, Built to Spill, Paul Dempsey, The Jezebels, Sugar Army, Jebediah, Love Of Diagrams, Dan Kelly, Bob Log III and Tame Impala.
Umpire’s debut Hidden Shoal release is single ‘Green Light District’, available as a free download on 19 April and launched in Perth on 23 April at Amplifier Bar. Umpire’s debut full-length album, Now We’re Active, is due for its Australian release on 2 June and worldwide release on 14 July. The Australian album launch will take place in Perth at the Rosemount on the 4th of June.
On The Casino Floor Press
Hotels latest On The Casino Floor has been receiving more well deserved praise last week being reviewed by such illustrious titles as Beat Magazine, Tip Top Music, Rave Magazine, Bluesbunny, and our old friends at Underground of Happiness. How’s that for a list? Happy reading!
Hotels – The Bat Watusi Hotels– The Bat Watusi
Antonymes Interview At Fluid Radio
Ian Hazeldine (aka Antonymes) has been interviewed over at the always excellent Fluid Radio. Its a fantastic read as Ian talks about his stunning new album The Licence To Interprest Dreams amongst other things. Check it out here.
Antonynmes ‘A Light From The Heavens’
Antonymes Top Track at RTRFM
Antonymes stunning track ‘The Siren, Hopelessly Lost’ has scooped Top Track status on Perths uber radio station RTRFM by the ever wonderful Gemma Pike. The track is lifted from The Licence To Interpret Dreams which is now available for pre-order ahead of its 21st April release.
Antonymes "The Licence To Interpret Dreams" Available for Pre-Order!
The stunning new album The Licence To Interpret Dreams by neo-classical/minimal ambient artist Antonymes is now available for CD pre-order via our distributor n5Mailorder ahead of its official release on the 21st of April. Be sure to get your order in quick as this album is going to popular we can assure you. CD pre-orders also come with a digital download so no need to wait to until the 21st to be absorbed in this albums resonant beauty.
The Licence To Interpret Dreams is as expansive as the wilds of North Wales from which it came, yet as delicate and intimate as a loved one’s breath upon your skin. Each song deploys a modest array of instruments and textures, giving them ample space to breathe and glow. The album’s scope is immediately apparent on breathtaking opener ‘The Slow Beginnings of a ‘A Fragile Acceptance’, where faint piano notes are overwhelmed by an aching surge of cellos, and the timeless, lingering chord progression of ‘The Siren, Hopelessly Lost’.
Single ‘Endlessly’ weaves traces of nature with unearthly, oscillating tones before giving way to a strident piano theme. On ‘Doubt’, Jan Van Den Broek delivers the words of Paul Morley, cradled against a bed of melancholic piano, violin and cello, leaving an indelible emotional mark. ‘A Light From The Heavens’ almost feels like a natural conclusion to the album, with its sense of reflective yearning, but it is followed by the devastating metaphysical breakdown of ‘On Arrival at the Strange Museum’, a cavernous piece that calls out like some giant magnetic spirit.
“At a time when mainstream music has lost much of its value with the average consumer, a work such as The Licence To Interpret Dreams reminds us yet again that while music created solely for commercial means may suffer, while there are artists such as Antonymes performing and recording, music as an art-form is alive and kicking.” – FutureSequence
The first track lifted from the album ‘Endlessly’ is also available as a free download. Check it out here and also its accompanying video here.
Hidden Shoal MixTape
